The present invention relates to a transparent functional membrane wherein functional ultrafine particles having various functions, such as a UV screening effect, an antistatic effect, and an antireflection effect, are localized in a coating, particularly localized and fixed in a coating on its surface layer in contact with or near air, thereby enabling the functions of the functional ultrafine particles to be developed, a transparent functional film, and a process for producing the same. Further, the present invention relates to an antireflection film comprising the above transparent functional film having an antireflection effect, and a process for producing the same.
It is known that a transparent functional film having functions, such as a UV screening property, an antistatic property, or an antireflection property, can be produced by coating on a transparent plastic substrate film a transparent resin composition with functional ultrafine particles having particular properties, such as a UV screening effect, an antistatic effect, and an antireflection effect, being dispersed therein, thereby forming a functional coating.
Further, it is also known that, in order to impart additional properties, such as scratch resistance and chemical resistance, to the above transparent functional film, a transparent functional film having a hard property can be produced by forming as an intermediate layer a hard coat layer of, for example, an ionizing radiation curing resin on a transparent plastic substrate film and coating thereon a transparent resin composition with functional ultrafine particles being dispersed therein.
In the transparent functional film containing the above functional ultrafine particles, the functional ultrafine particles are present in a dispersed form in a transparent functional membrane due to the nature of the process. The incorporation of a larger amount of functional ultrafine particles in the membrane can further enhance the function of the functional ultrafine particles. In this case, however, the filling ratio of the functional ultrafine particles dispersed in the resin should be increased, making it difficult to form a film. Further, the transparent functional film having a hard coat layer of an ionizing radiation curing resin or the like has a problem that the adhesion between the hard coat layer and the transparent functional membrane is so low that the transparent functional membrane is likely to peel off.